PhD in Civil Engineering

Students applying for admission to the PhD in Civil Engineering program are required to meet the following criteria:

• Have Civil Engineering background at undergraduate level. Students with non-Civil Engineering backgrounds may only be considered on a case-by-case basis under very exceptional circumstances.
• Hold a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering or an equivalent from an accredited college or university.
• Have earned an overall GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale in the Master degree. Students with lower GPA's may be accepted on a provisional basis as described below.
• Provide official transcripts of all completed college work.
• Submit a Graduate Application Form.
• Submit a minimum of one recommendation later from academic professor who has directly evaluated the student’s academic performance during previous degrees. More than one letter is encouraged.
• Submit a research statement describing subject(s) of interest. This statement MUST INCLUDE the intended area of specialization within Civil Engineering.
• Submit up-to-date professional resume.
• Non-native speakers of English must document English proficiency upon entry to the program (TOEFL minimum 570 for the PBT and an 84 for the IBT or IELTS minimum 6.5).

Students with a graduate GPA lower than 3.3 may be admitted on a provisional basis.  They are evaluated for continuation upon completion of nine (9) credits of graduate coursework at LTU.  This evaluation is conducted by the Director of Civil Engineering Graduate Programs, the Chair of Civil Engineering Department and the Associated Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The Department Chair will notify the student of the outcome.  If a student is not permitted to continue work toward the PhD then the student is expected to terminate studies within the Department.  The student may petition the decision to the Doctoral Governance Committee of the College of Engineering (COE) within one week of decision letter.  The decision of the Doctoral Governance Committee is final.

Students with an engineering master’s degree in a field other than civil engineering who have a GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted on a provisional basis.  The graduate program director and program adviser(s) will define the prerequisite requirements.